Language barrier at hospital in Polokwane

POLOKWANE – Residents are angry and frustrated with the department of health, whom they allege does not care about bad service delivery at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital.

Some residents claim that the hospital personnel are rude, impatient and do not speak in English for all to understand.

“During the day patients wait for hours in long queues before they get medical attention. At night it is even worse.

“The hospital is not that busy, but still patients have to wait long before they get medical attention.

“The nursing staff are in a bad mood and when they speak to a person, their tone of voice is unfriendly as if that person is bothering them.

“They speak to people in Sepedi, and when we ask them to speak English because we don’t understand Sepedi, they get annoyed and make remarks in a language that the complainant does not understand,” says a resident who recently visited the hospital.

Another resident, who did not wish to be identified, confirms the alleged poor service delivery.

“I was at the hospital on Sunday night. I was assaulted in the early hours of Sunday morning, and later that day I reported the matter to the police.

“The police gave me a form that I had to take to the hospital for a doctor to complete for my case.

“I went to the hospital at 18:30 and was only helped at 19:30. The sisters were rude and spoke to me with an attitude as if they were irritated with me.

“The doctor examined me, but refused to complete the police form without a case number and said I should come back when I have a case number.

“The doctor also refused to give me a sick note. I work weekends, and because I was not at work on Sunday, due to my injuries and reporting the matter to the police, I needed a doctor’s letter.”

The man adds that he had to plead with two sisters to help him get a letter from the doctor, otherwise he would have been in trouble at work.

“I waited another 45 minutes before I got the letter,” the man says.

Review speaks to five other residents, who also do not wish to be identified, about this matter.

They complain about the personnel taking their time to help patients when they arrive at the emergency entrance of the hospital.

“When a patient is brought to the hospital in an ambulance nurses tend to that patient immediately.

“However, when you arrive at the hospital using private transport and you are able to walk, the sisters take their time to help you.

“About a month ago my brother was assaulted.

“I took him to the hospital and the sisters were quick to help us, but we had to wait for more than two hours before a doctor examined my brother,” says one of these residents.

Residents challenge the health MEC, Ishmael Kgetjepe, to visit the hospital as a civilian to experience the lack of service that they claim to receive every time they visit the hospital.

By the time of going to print health spokesperson Macks Lesufi had not given comment on the matter.